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Today at Photokina 2014, we go hands-on with the oddly shaped Polaroid Socialmatic, and well, a lot of seriously expensive Leica shooters. But that's not all -- read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.

We've seen plenty of interesting rebrands in past years. Leica's perhaps the most prolific manufacturer to redesign housings and jack up a camera's price, but Hasselblad is also guilty of trying to pass off a competitor's cam as its own, with the $10,000 Solar. Leica's own recreations are hardly as egregious -- select photographers certainly don't mind paying a few hundred dollars more for what's arguably a better-looking camera from a more premium brand, making this year's V-Lux and D-Lux a reasonable purchase for some. That first model is based on the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000, while the D-Lux is a deluxe version of the LX100, which squeezes a powerful Micro Four Thirds sensor into a surprisingly compact body.%Gallery-slideshow222919%

Leica cameras are not without their critics, especially when it comes to pricing (which admittedly can be absolutely absurd at times), but the company's point-and-shoots are more affordable. Of course you'll still pay a significant premium for the Leica name, but if you have the cash to spare, there are some very capable cameras to choose from, including the latest X model we met at Photokina today. Like its predecessor, the X sports a large 16.2-megapixel APS-C sensor (the same size you'll find in most DSLRs), paired with a fixed 23mm f/1.7 lens, which provides a field of view equivalent to a 35mm lens on a full-frame camera.%Gallery-slideshow222909%

Of all the new Leica models at Photokina, the M-P represents the slightest of tweaks. It's essentially a Leica M, but with a new 2GB buffer, double the size of the original. It's also missing the familiar red dot on the front, which the company says makes the cam "particularly discreet" (note: you're still shooting with a massive, very expensive looking Leica). It's available now in silver chrome or black for €6,700 in Europe or $7,950 in the US. Check 'er out below.%Gallery-slideshow222896%

Leica just released an update to its X2 point-and-shoot camera here at Photokina. The X-E has a look and feel that's very similar to its predecessor, with comparable specs as well. There's a 16.5-megapixel APS-C sensor that, like the X model also announced today, can capture images with a level of quality that rivals that of many DSLRs. What you can't do, unfortunately, is swap in a different lens -- there's a 24mm f/2.8 optic permanently attached, which is what you'd expect given the light weight and compact size, but if you need to get closer to your subject, you'll need to walk forward rather than zoom in.%Gallery-slideshow222915%

As of this writing, 15,000 Euro is the equivalent of $19,400 -- a very reasonable exchange rate indeed, and a fair price to pay for a mid-range car or a year of college. Only a select few can justify handing over that sum for a digital camera, however, regardless of the exclusivity that comes in tow. Leica's counting on at least a few die-hard fans to fork over the cash, though, for the M Edition 60, a very special model created to celebrate the M system's 60th anniversary. Only 600 have been made, and each is numbered between 001 and 600. Most peculiar is what this camera doesn't include -- a display, menu system, electronic viewfinder or any indicators at all, besides a tiny red light that flashes when the SD card is in use. %Gallery-slideshow222893%

Compact, point-and-shoot cameras are dying, simply because people would rather use smartphones and tablets to snap their dinner and instantly share them to Instagram. Unfortunately, that's a segment of the market that Panasonic abandoned (at least in Europe) back in 2013. That left the company without a convincing rival to the Lumia 1020 and Samsung's various phone / camera hybrids. That's why the company has now launched the DMC-CM1, a "connected camera" (i.e. a smartphone with a proper lens) that's capable of taking 20-megapixel stills and record 4K video thanks to a one-inch MOS sensor. %Gallery-slideshow222645%

Digital rangefinder cameras may look like retro fashion items, but they're genuinely handy for pros -- they're good for moments when you need quality without carrying a big, conspicuous DSLR. To that end, Leica has just launched the M-P, a new addition to the M series that's more about serious work than style. You're still getting a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor in a relatively small body, but the buffer memory has doubled to a hefty 2GB; the camera should almost always keep up with your rapid-fire photography. There's also a new selection lever that shows you framing for common focal lengths in the viewfinder, and an anti-reflective coating on the scratch-resistant sapphire LCD will help you review your snaps in bright sunlight. %Gallery-slideshow216958%

Leica's cameras have always been good-looking, and they've always been expensive. You might expect the German camera maker's most visually stunning model yet to cost more than a pretty penny, and it does, but at $1,850 (body only), it's also one of the company's most affordable interchangeable-lens cameras to date. The Leica T, machined from a single block of aluminum and hand-polished for 45 minutes, is not going to be produced by the millions and marketed around the world. And considering the nearly $2,000 you'll pay for each of the camera's brand-new lenses, you can definitely invest in a more capable camera system for less. But the T is a work of art, and people will pay ridiculous sums for a desirable piece. This one just also happens to take pictures.%Gallery-slideshow194511%

Leica's been making cameras for a full century this year, and to celebrate, it's just now getting around to releasing an interchangeable-lens camera that you might actually be able to afford... until you factor in the glass. Priced around $1,850 (without a lens), the T looks like a camera that you might want to own. Its core is chiseled from a solid brick of aluminum, resulting in a beautiful body (that's equally durable). There's a 16-megapixel APS-C sensor, a 3.7-inch high-res touchscreen, a 12,500 top ISO, 1080p video capture, a 5 fps continuous shooting mode and a pair of top-mounted control wheels for adjusting exposure. There's also integrated WiFi, and you can pop on an optional electronic viewfinder, if that's your thing. %Gallery-slideshow190234%

Street photography is the purest, most spontaneous way to create art with a camera. No studios, no props, no poses; all you need is the right equipment and a street with people on it. In this original series for Engadget, we'll follow three seasoned street fighters and try to glean some practical wisdom about what engages their eyes, brains and fingers in the moments before they shoot.

We learned about manual exposure in the last installment. Now we're going all in with a look at manual focusing. Our guide is Matt Stuart, a London-based photographer who's made his name with funny and quirky shots of humanity going about its business; shots that often materialize and then disappear so quickly that even the fastest autofocus system would fail to keep up. Since Stuart's style often involves stepping right up to people, almost to the point of invading their personal space, we'll also try to figure out how he manages to avoid confrontation.

Ever wondered what happened to Sir Jonathan Ive's custom-designed Leica M? Wonder no more, because the one-a-kind camera has been spotted in the November edition of Vanity Fair. A render of the Apple-inspired Leica M shows one of two original pieces designed by Ive in collaboration with influential Australian designer Marc Newson set to be auctioned as part of a (RED) auction at Sotheby's New York in November. The German camera maker reportedly spent more than 2,149 hours and used 55 engineers to manufacture 561 models with nearly 1000 prototype parts, which may not be surprising given Ive's fascination with aluminum. For their part, Ive and Newson spent more than a year and a half curating the 40 auction items for the original collection, including an 18 carat rose gold pair of Apple EarPods and a limited edition 2012 Range Rover. Considering the hefty list prices a regular Leica can fetch for, we might just have to postpone purchasing that super yacht.

There's not much to reveal about Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GX7 since it leaked (nearly) in full just days ago, but now it's official. This 16-megapixel Live MOS shooter is Panny's latest Micro Four Thirds offering aimed squarely at prosumers. This retro-styled camera is a much svelter option than the video-focused GH-3 ($1,500) thanks to its magnesium alloy casing. Along with in-body image stabilization and a swift shutter that tops out at 1/8000th of a second, the ISO tops out at 25,600. If video is your concern, it'll capture 1080p footage at 60 fps (24 Mbps) in AVCHD.

While the GX7 will burst shoot with autofocus tracking at 4.3 fps, its electronic shutter lets it hit 40 fps if pure speed is what you're after -- while we're on it, the shutter will also operate in a silent mode. Notably, a vertically-tiltable 16:9 Live View Finder is onboard, packing a resolution of 2.76 million dots and the ability to fire off the autofocus once it detects an eye. Two control dials aid in manual settings along with a rear-facing LCD touchscreen, which tilts up to 80-degrees. If all that wasn't enough, built-in WiFi and NFC allow for the likes of remote viewfinder apps and sharing media.

The GX7 will hit the US this November in a silver and black colorway priced at $1,100 with a 14-42mm kit lens, and $1,000 for just the body itself. A sleathier all-black variant will also be available, though only in Japan. Aside from the camera, a new Lumix lens with Leica tech will also hit shelves, offering a 45mm 42.5mm focal length with a speedy f/1.2 aperture -- the fastest in the lineup to date. Hit the press releases after the break for more details.

Update: We've corrected the focal length of the fast prime lens, which is 42.5mm rather than the 45mm we originally reported.

Leica's just taken its vintage branding strategy to a new level with the D-Lux 6 "G-Star RAW" compact model, styled by the Dutch denim maker of that name. Design touches include a textured leather body and gun-metal grey accents, along with an embossed leather case and strap, all firsts for a compact Leica camera. The 10-megapixel model (based on the Panasonic LX7) arguably merits such a treatment, though, packing as it does a 24-90mm (35mm equivalent) f/1.4-2.3 fixed zoom, 1/1.7-inch sensor, manual control dials, full-HD video and of course, RAW still image capture. As with previous Leica designer models, the G-Star RAW version (which will hit dealers soon) bumps the standard D-Lux 6 ticket considerably to around $1,300. While that's arguably a steep price to pay for zero extra functionality, we can't say we blame them for trying -- considering how often its early styling has been appropriated.

Leica had teased that June 11th would see the Mini M added to its lineup, and now it's made good on its promise. Now known as the X Vario, the compact cam crams a 16.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor inside an aluminum and magnesium body bound in leather trim. As for glass, the shooter packs a fixed Vario Elmar 18-46mm zoom lens (or 28-70mm in 35mm format), paired with an aperture range of f/3.5-6.4 and ISO of 100-12,500. The camera also packs a 3-inch 920k-dot LCD, and can capture 1080p and 720p video at 30fps. The X Vario is already available at Leica stores and vendors, but those angling to sling one of these on their shoulder will have to extract a princely $2,850 from their bank accounts. If you're happy to window shop, head to the source for a closer look.

There's a mysterious new Leica coming next month, and now we know what it looks like. The German camera maker teased its new model, dubbed the Mini M, with an image of a generic black box posted last week. It looks like a French iPad app spilled the beans a bit early, though, and Mirrorless Rumors managed to snag a screen grab. The new cam (in the foreground above) will reportedly sport a 16.1-megapixel APS-C sensor and a fixed 28-70mm f/3.5-6.4 lens -- not the interchangeable mount some fans were expecting. The camera is said to be manufactured from aluminum, and includes support for an optional electronic viewfinder. Specs are fairly light, but there's supposedly HD video recording (that's a safe bet) and a copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom that ships in the box. Leica is scheduled to introduce the Mini M on June 11th, at which point all of the above, along with the rumored €2,450 (about $3,150) price tag, will likely be confirmed.

Leica seldom updates its camera lineup, so we're especially intrigued to discover that it's teasing a completely new model, the Mini M. On the camera maker's website, this TBA model is represented by only a black box, tucked in between the full-frame M and the APS-C-loaded X2 (Micro M). There's no other official info aside from its June 11th unveiling date, but Leica Rumors is poised to bet that this is the company's first mirrorless ILC entry. The site's sources claim this model will thankfully not be a re-badged Panasonic Lumix -- Hasselblad and Sony's Lunar (a leather-adorned NEX-7) already did enough damage on that front.

Apple's 'Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 4.04' is out, and although we rarely report on these frequent releases, there are a few notable shooters named in this particular version. Available for Macs running OS X Lion 10.7.5 and above, or Mountain Lion 10.8.2 and above, the update now allows RAW snaps from Sony's compact Cyber-shot RX1 and Nikon's D5200 SLR to play nice with Aperture and iPhoto software. Plenty of other cameras are also on the changelog: Leica's X2, V-Lux 4 and D-Lux 6, as well as Pentax's Q, K-30, K-5 II and IIs. A quick trip to the App Store will get you on the latest version and have you cooking something up in Aperture before you can say "medium-rare." Bon appétit.

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appleDigitalCameraRawCompatibilityUpdateleicalionmountainlionNikonD5200osxpentaxSonyCyber-shotRx1SonyRx1Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:19:00 -050021|20454106http://www.tuaw.com/2012/09/18/jony-ive-will-design-limited-edition-leica-camera-for-charity/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=TUAW.com&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.tuaw.com/2012/09/18/jony-ive-will-design-limited-edition-leica-camera-for-charity/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/09/18/jony-ive-will-design-limited-edition-leica-camera-for-charity/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=TUAW.com#commentsApple's own Sir Jony Ive will design a one-off camera for Leica, to be auctioned off for charity. That's right, only one unit will be produced. The announcement was made at a special event that Ive was supposed to attend. In the end, he couldn't make it, but the company went ahead with the announcement anyway.

Collectors with a love of fine design, and very deep pockets, will want to keep an eye out for this one.

In case the newly announced Leica M simply isn't astronomically expensive enough -- or charity-minded enough, as it were -- Apple's senior VP of design Jony Ive is working with the German photography company on a one-off version set to be auctioned for charity. Given the M's baseline price of €6,200 (about $8,100), we're guessing the one-of-a-kind version designed by one of the world's most influential designers is going to fetch a pretty penny at auction. Like, "sell off one of your extra homes" kind of money. Leica head Dr. Andreas Kaufmann announced the collaboration last night during a Leica event at Photokina -- an event that Ive himself was reportedly set to appear at -- where he said that the auction will be done with U2 frontman (and longtime friend of Ive) Bono Vox. The latest Leica M debuts in early 2013, though we won't see the fruits of Ive and Leica's collaboration for some time as the camera's design has yet to begin.

Yep, one more Leica camera to tell you about from this year's Photokina show floor. It's the V-Lux 4 -- a big new superzoom addition to the company's line. Though its got a similar name to the V-Lux 40, the camera's body is a good deal larger -- closer in size and shape to a small DSLR, but still reasonably lightweight. As with the smaller model, the V-Lux 4 features an all black design, with a bright red Leica logo on the front -- in this case, just next to the curving textured handle. Also on top is a pop-out flash that you trigger with a devoted button.

The V-Lux 4 is capable of continuous f2.8 zoom, accessible via two buttons -- one on top and the other next to the lens. Also on the rear, you get two viewfinders -- optical on top and a swiveling electronic three-inch display. The camera is available now in Europe for a pricey €699.

More fun from Leica here at Photokina in Germany -- and this guy is big in every way. It's the S-System, the company's update to its pro-series medium format offering. The successor to the S2 is quite large (even in SLR terms) and is very, very heavy. In fact, you're going to want to work out that upper body before using this thing for any period of time -- that is, once you're done selling your first born child. Aesthetically, the camera looks a good deal like the S2, maintaining its nice looking design with a couple of key differences -- for one thing, there's an extra bump on the top of the camera -- this is where the integrated GPS lives.

The 3-inch LCD (which is capable of 16 million colors) is also covered with Gorilla Glass, so you're less likely to crack it if you're rough on the thing (though, again, at these prices, we assume you'll be nicer to it than your own offspring). Look inside the optical viewfinder and you'll get a meter that helps you determine how you're oriented respective to the horizon. The sensor, naturally, has been refreshed as well, now measuring 30 by 44mm, with 37.5 megapixels. And the shutter can do its thing as quickly as 1/1,000 of a second.

As for pricing, well -- the Leica rep we spoke with put the camera at (get ready) €19,600. The camera is also launching with four lenses, in case you have a few other kids you're interested in selling.

The Leica deluge continues here at Photokina in Cologne. We played around with two new point-and-shoots from the company, starting with the D-Lux 6, the larger and pricier of the pair. The camera features an all black body, with a red Leica logo on the front. It's got a 1.7-inch CMOS image sensor, a processor capable of ISO 80 to 12800 and adjustable aperture on the lens that can be changed with a twist. It's also got a large three-inch display on the rear and is capable of full HD video.

The cheaper V-Lux 40 features a similar all-black build with red logo in a smaller form, with a 1/2.33-inch CMOS sensor. On the rear of the camera, you'll find a three-inch touch display with the same bright resolution as the D-Lux 6. The camera, which bears a striking resemblance to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20, can also do 1080p video. The V-Lux is available now here in Europe for €590 and the D-Lux is coming soon, priced at €699.

Don't have the $6,500 to spare to pick up a Leica M9? You might consider the freshly announced M-E, which carries a similar feature set and a slightly more palatable $5,450 price tag. The camera includes the same 18-megapixel sensor as the M9, but drops relatively minor features like a built-in USB port (you'll need to pop out your SD card to download pics). It's nearly identical to the pricier model, with a low-res (230k-dot) 2.5-inch LCD and an ISO range of 160-2500. Unlike the "new M," announced alongside the M-E, the latter model does not offer live-view functionality, so you'll only be using the LCD to make settings adjustments and for reviewing images, anyway. Shot framing will be handled with the 0.68x viewfinder, positioned at the top left of the camera.

Aesthetically, you might find the M-E to be a bit more pleasing, with a muted gray/black color scheme -- we found it to be quite nice during out hands-on at Photokina. The camera itself looks like an M9 with a hint of Michael Graves-esque simplicity -- there's a silver shutter speed dial up top, with soft numbering and positions that range from bulb to 1/4000 second. There's also a matching power toggle/shutter release, along with the standard suite of playback and ISO controls on the rear. As we mentioned, the 2.5-inch display offers a bit lower resolution than what we'd like to see, making it less than ideal for verifying image sharpness, for example, so if the LCD marks high on your list of priorities, you'll probably do best to wait for the "new M" (M10) to hit early next year. Otherwise, the M-E appears to be a capable camera, but M9 owners should hang tight -- there's not much to see here. The M-E is available for purchase now, for about $5,450 (or €4,800 in Europe), and you can sneak a peek in our gallery below, and the hands-on video after the break.

Yesterday, Canon stole the show, but today's darling of Photokina appears to be the just-announced Leica M camera. Show attendees flocked to the "new M" demo counter this morning, nudging through the crowd for a chance to check out Leica's first live-view equipped M. This new feature is powered by a new 24-megapixel CMOS sensor, and also enables 1080p video capture at 24 and 25 frames-per-second -- another first for Leica. Live-view and HD video shooting may not seem like banner features for a €6,200 (about $8,100) camera, but considering they've never been offered before, these additions seem to be highlights for hopeful M10 owners.

The camera itself is quite beastly, in typical M fashion, and appears to have just as much heft as the M9. There's a new Gorilla Glass-equipped 3-inch, 920k-dot display, that's plenty sharp and quite responsive in live-view mode. Adjacent to the display, you'll find a new LV button, which, as you may have guessed, launches the new realtime display mode. There's also a playback button, along with direct access to ISO, image deletion and menu settings. Up top, there's the Leica trademark shutter speed dial (aperture control is on the lens), letting you select from bulb all the way through 1/4000 second. There's a full-size hot shoe up top with an accessory connector for the EVF 2 attachment, and a second proprietary connector on the bottom to interface with the accessory grip, which adds USB connectivity and built-in GPS.

We can't comment on image quality just yet, but there's no question that the "new M" marks Leica's commitment to finally bring otherwise commonplace features to its popular (and pricey) rangefinder line. Look for this latest model to hit stores in early 2013, but you can take a closer look today in our hands-on gallery below and video demo after the break.

Update: This post originally stated that the new Leica M had yet to be named, however the company has confirmed that the new camera will simply be named, "The Leica M," without numbers. "The Leica M also marks the beginning of a new era in the Leica product naming policy. In [the] future, Leica M and S model names will omit the number suffix to emphasize the enduring and long-term significance of the respective systems."